Back pain from seats

[DonnyJagaru]

Wow, my cloth Legacy seats are excellent. I guess it depends on what shape you are.

Conversely, my other car has fully adjustable electric seats that provide and infinite number of different seating positions - all of which are uncomfortable.

[glickster89]

Thanks for the all the responses. Ive never had back issues before. Like I said, I was driving an Audi A4 with what I thought to be were horrible seats. But those at least had support. These are just god awful. Im searching around to see if an auto reupholstery shop can actually re form the seat to my body. If not, then I'm really stuck having to sell the car. Never thought I would have to sell a car due to the seats in it.

[glickster89]

Are the leather seats going to be different at all from the stock cloth seats? As far as comfort/shape etc.

 

Or what would be another option as far as swapping seats go? WRX seats? I would assume Outback seats are going to exactly the same.

Edited April 1, 2014 by glickster89

[rice_rocket]

Sti seats... but for me the only adjustment I was missing was the front height of the seats. It lacked thigh/knee support which the manuals could not adjust. I tried a power seat to make sure...and so I swapped to power front, and kept the leather for wear and tear. Haven't gotten around to switching the rear seats to leather yet since I don't use the backs except for baby seats, and the cloth seats are better for that anyways.

[glickster89]

Sti seats... but for me the only adjustment I was missing was the front height of the seats. It lacked thigh/knee support which the manuals could not adjust. I tried a power seat to make sure...and so I swapped to power front, and kept the leather for wear and tear. Haven't gotten around to switching the rear seats to leather yet since I don't use the backs except for baby seats, and the cloth seats are better for that anyways.

 

Thats exactly what my stock legacy seats lack- Thigh and knee support. Thats whats causing my back issues. The bottom of the seat doesnt go out far enough so im thighs are left dangling putting strain on my back. So you have STI seats in your front seats?

[rice_rocket]

No I put power seats in... the front can go up, the back can go down in terms of the seat cushion, which solved my issue. Honestly what you could try now that I've taken apart the seats a few times is get a piece of foam, cut/ fold/ shape it, and add it to the seat fabric under where the knee is and raise it manually... while you look for power seats or.. just put a thin pillow or towel. I did the towel thing to make sure that was going to solve my problem before I did all that, and it was the solution.

[Jeremy R]

I just picked up a 00 gt wagon. Cloth power seats. I know what you mean, I noticed yesterday. The edge of the seat wouldn't touch my legs. So I had no support it was straining my lower back. I played with the power seat adjustment a lot and found something somewhat comfortable but still not supporting my legs. Only way I got leg contact from the front of the seat was raising it way up, to where I was almost touching the ceiling. I'm 5'10 175.

 

The wierd thing is only the back of the seat goes up and down. That's where it fails, maybe the adjustment is broken? My Volvo adjusted both the front and back of the seat cushion up and down. The subaru needed that front end adjustment too... I don't think that it's the seat is too short but that the front height is too short, there's no angle to it in relation to the floor. my legs don't touch the last 4-5 inches of it while driving. So yeah legs just dangling kind of

 

So now I'm thinking the only thing to do is manually adjust the front of the seat up with shims under the frame. If they can safely be shimmed enough. There should still be enough adjustment in the other angles to get a correct seating position.

 

Edit- just saw rices post, @ rice - is there enough fabric to bolster the front? That's sounds like a decent idea too.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Jeremy R

[rice_rocket]

There is room in the fabric under the seat before you shim the seat itself. Just to warn people, the 05 I think has its own special airbag detection system different than 06 up... so make sure you get the right power seat... I swapped the 05 seat into 06 I think..but couldn't do the reverse for me..

[glickster89]

There is room in the fabric under the seat before you shim the seat itself. Just to warn people, the 05 I think has its own special airbag detection system different than 06 up... so make sure you get the right power seat... I swapped the 05 seat into 06 I think..but couldn't do the reverse for me..

 

I have an appt at a custom upholstery shop here in Portland to have the drivers seat completely customized to my body. Getting it done in a week. I was really just going to throw in the towel and sell it but I know I wouldnt get what I paid for it, unless I sold it private party, but then I'm without a car until I get a new one.

 

So this will really be my last option with this car. The guy at the shop said he has a 99.6% success rate with rebuilding seats to fit a persons specific body, so we will see what happens. But damn, never, out of the 3 other vehicles ive owned, have I had such bad back pain from a damn seat. Crossing my fingers he will be able to get the seat right for me.

[chisav]

Not a huge fan of my leather seats as well. Feels like I can never find a perfect position. It'll be comfortable for a bit then needs some adjustment.

[ashwinearl]

I couldn't drive more than 3 hours without a pain in my hip (piriformis). I got the Freedom Center cushion and after getting used to it, no pain at all after long drives 6+hrs. They make a back pad as well

[nouse4aname]

Are you guy actually sitting with your back against the seat and head by the headrest? I tend to sit more straight up and only my lower back actually contacts the seat back.

[Jeremy R]

Nouse4aname... Dude thanks! Your right I was sitting with seat back in an upright position up to my back and head near the headrest.. I laid the seat back and bam I was sittin in the spot I needed to be on the cushion. My legs are supported now! The set back now only Comes half way up my back. To go back to the headrest is a laid back position like I used to ride as a young man. Not sure if this affects the safety feature of the headrest or not.. At any rate it was a quick simple and easy fix. Much more comfortable!!!

 

If anyone has this issue lay your seat way back and scoot back in the seat, then adjust the back up.

[JJr]

You play golf and tennis and we're the pussies?

 

Just returned from my 12 hour one-way trip, back felt great both ways ( 1 year older too) yes I played the wimpy sport of golf and tennis again while I was there. I wonder if Tiger drives a LGT since he just had back surgery? Tiger and Federer are such pussies!!

[nouse4aname]

Yeah, further your head is from the headrest the more prone to whiplash you would be. But at 6'7 with a large amount of my height coming from my legs that's just the only position that works for me.

[glickster89]

After paying to have the seat changed up a bit, im having to sell the car. Horribly uncomfortable and cant deal with back pain anymore at only 24 yrs old. Went and test drove a 2008 mazda cx7 with the turbo. Very nice car. I was going to trade this one in but all the dealers will screw me and only give me 6500 for a car that I can get at least 9k for. Putting it up for sale when I get the title in the mail.

[Max Capacity]

Wow, back from the dead. My 05 cloth seats are still great, I find them very comfortable.

 

Been siting in them for 295,000 miles. I think the longest drive has been 6 hours or so.

[Pleides]

People don't look at the last posted date before replying?

 

Anyways, I'm 6 feet tall and 145 pounds and the seats are comfy for me. If I were two inches shorter, I think it'd be perfect. Mine is the Limited trim as well, and my seat has 215K miles on it now.